Pottery Shards
by Archangel N. Bloodraven
Summary: Miscellaneous Harry Potter ideas that are too good to let sit in my brain, but not developed enough for their own stories. As I dislike canon there will be little chance of Harry/Ginny or Ron/Hermione. Probably bashing ahead.
1. Harry Potter and the Court of Decadence

Harry Potter and the Court of Decadence  
By Archangel Bloodraven

Harry smirked as he ascended the stairs of his aunt's house. Admittedly his innocent godfather was on the run, and the cowardly Wormtail had fled straight to the Dark Lord Voldemort. However before going into seclusion Sirius had secured him permission to visit the wizarding village of Hogsmeade, and while Harry and a few others knew that Sirius was innocent, he hadn't felt the need to share that with the Dursley's.

If he truly needed Sirius he could probably sent a message straight to him, or maybe better yet, relay it through the former Professor Lupin. But at the moment, the only thing that was worth mentioning was also highly embarrassing.

Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, Slayer-of-the-Dark-Lord-Voldemort-Twice-Over, He-Who-Has-Too-Many-Damned-Hyphens… had started having erotic dreams.

There was no rhyme or reason to them, and the cast changed with a great regularity but the end results were always the same, a very sated wizard and a content witch. Or sometimes more than one witch, as it varied from night to night.

Harry wasn't sure when the dreams had started, but they had gotten much more memorable since his late night run with Hermione to save Buckbeak and Sirius. Given his luck with odd magical occurrences, Harry's personal theory was that using Hermione's Time Turner had pushed his already wonky magic into overdrive but even he couldn't begin to guess why it was giving him wank fodder.

_At least I haven't dreamed of Aunt Petunia._ Harry thought in relief. _The one right before I got on the train was weird enough. Poppy, Minerva, and Molly all at once is beyond my ability to comprehend. But they were rather sweet. Figures, since they're my caretakers. _Harry studiously steered his thoughts away from the word mother, even though that was how his mind labeled the three elder witches.

Dinner that evening was a subdued affair. Harry was lost in his thoughts, passing sides on autopilot as he wondered idly who would appear in tonight's erotic theater. Luckily, the fear of Harry's magic and the unspoken agreement that he shouldn't have anything untoward to report to his murderous godfather kept the Dursley's from pushing Harry too far this soon back and he was able to make a hasty escape to his room.

Which was how he happened upon the naked woman sitting on his bed.

She wasn't human. Despite his limited encounters with magical creatures, Harry would swear by his magic that no human woman could be that breathtakingly attractive. Furthermore, her features were impossibly fluid and unrecognizable, with the exception of her frizzy brown hair and her deep brown eyes that glowed with an inner fire turning them bright amber. In fact, she actually reminded him of…

"Hermione?"

"Hermione?" The woman repeated crossing to the messy haired young wizard. Before Harry had a chance to respond the mysterious brunette wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. Unbidden, images of the pretty young witch flashed across his mind's eye. As his world dissolved in a white hot explosion of pleasure, he blinked his eyes clear to see that his guest's features were no longer indistinct.

Harry was now treated to the unusual impression of standing with his neck encircled by the smartest witch of his generation, who was thoroughly naked.

"Who are you?" Harry panted, staring at his classmate's doppelganger.

"I'm Hermione." The woman said, as though this explained everything.

"No you're not. It's simply not possible." Harry said. "I know Hermione, even if this is the first time I've seen her naked. Your look is flawless, but you're not her."

"Call me Selene then." The brunette said with a sultry smile as she trailed her fingers down Harry's chest. "And who might you be?"

Harry frowned at the woman's familiar hands. "I'm… Call me James." He said, knowing somehow that giving his proper name was not for this meeting.

"James." She licked her lips as though tasting it. "It's not quite your name, but it has a certain connection. It also has no small amount of power." Harry just shivered watching her tongue play over her lips, forgetting for a moment that Hermione Granger was miles away and more than likely fully dressed.

"All right." He said, forcibly reminding himself that this was, in fact, not his best friend.  
"Next question is what are you?"

"I think you know. I'm a shape changer, sex incarnate, and I've taken the form of someone you find physically desirable. Quite frankly I'm surprised that you haven't thrown me to the bed and ravished me."

Harry racked his brain. He was fairly certain that they hadn't actually covered this in Lupin's class, and yet something about this seemed familiar. He was almost certain he'd read about it… near the back, with the werewolves…

"I think a succubus might find a virgin lacking for the ravishing." Harry retorted putting the pieces together. "So why are you here?"

"So quick witted!" Selene gushed. "As for the why… Tonight I'm a messenger." She brushed a hand through her hair and produced an envelope bearing the Gringott's seal.

"I don't know a lot about the goblins, but I can't imagine they would retain a succubus as a messenger." Harry pulled away and paced silently around the very sexy copy of his young friend.

"I admit to having my own agenda," Selene replied, licking her lips and staring at Harry oddly. "but I was coming for you anyway, so it was little trouble to deliver a message that was coming here as well."

"Odd that the message wouldn't have come by owl." Harry replied, carefully extracting the letter from her grasp and breaking the seal.

"All Gringott's owls are rerouted to your account manager." She replied staring intently at Harry. "And before you ask, no you're not supposed to have an account manager."

Harry arched an eyebrow and lowered his eyes to the parchment. "'Dear Mr. Potter, As per the order of an anonymous member of the Gringott's banking family, you have been conferred the title of Head of House Black in Absentia. As per your anonymous benefactors wishes this was to be conferred to you directly. On a personal note, given the difficulty we've had in reaching you we have been auditing your account transactions and have found the last will and testament of James and Lilly Potter has not been properly executed in a manner satisfactory to Gringott's. If you would be willing to come to settle this matter it would be most appreciated!' What the hell!"

"It seems that Sirius has left the remains of House Black in your hands until such time as he can reclaim it, and someone's keeping secrets." Selene murmured in a sing song voice.

"Since you seem to have many more answers than you should, who's playing games with me?"

Selene's eyes lost the twinkle of mirth as she took an impossibly deep breath through her nose. "Dumbledore. His stench is on you in manners it should not be." She snarled. "It's all fits too well, how his man Hagrid could be there to scoop you up before the Court could. It should have been impossible, unless Hagrid knew where he was to be and when he was to be there."

"You think that Dumbledore is the one blocking things?" Harry said incredulously. "You think that Hagrid knew something?"

"Think now. You know Hagrid. He is a simple man with simple pleasures. He also cannot keep a secret reliably."

"He also really supports Dumbledore. So if Dumbledore told him he had an important mission for him, I doubt he'd think to ask too many questions." Harry mused. "So that is something in favor of your theory. What else do you have?"

"Owls." Selene paced. "You're the most famous person in the wizarding world and yet you get very little mail. Hogwarts, your friends at school, and the ministry seem to be the extent of your correspondence. A little odd, don't you think?"

"I had simply assumed that was because I was in a muggle neighborhood." Harry said, frowning at the thought. "But Vernon gets bank statements regularly… so shouldn't Gringott's be sending me something similar? And the one time that something is sent straight from Gringott's, it comes through an intermediary. Anything more?"

"Your parents were proud of their magic, as were their friends. Why on earth would you be raised by people who hated magic in any form when you had the head of an Ancient and Noble House for a godfather? Why grow up ignorant of a world you saved, however inadvertently?"

"You tell me, since you seem to have all the answers."

"An ignorant pawn is easy to manipulate. But it's not like Albus has ever stacked a deck to ensure his favored outcome." The sarcasm of Selene's borrowed voice was familiar to Harry, bringing a sense of normalcy to a surreal conversation. "I mean, first year he guarded a priceless magical artifact with a series of traps that was practically tailor made for three plucky Slytherins- I mean, _Gryffindors._ Easy mistake, you know, seeing as how you three have killed the rule book, chopped up its remains, soaked them in petrol, and then lit the whole mess on fire. Just got to piss on the ashes now, I expect."

"I thought the polyjuice would have hit that point, honestly. And I can't help it if the rules are so damn flimsy." Harry retorted. "It's like we take a good look at them and BOOM!"

"I'm sure." Selene drawled. "Now I willingly admit that I and the other members of the Court are quite biased, and what I've laid out is circumstantial evidence in the best light," she paced towards Harry with a determined look that made Harry feel he should make a run for the nearest textbook. "But there is one thing I'm sure of."

"What's that?"

Rather than respond, Selene grasped Harry's collar and pulled him into another kiss, this one gentler and more delicate than their first. Harry found his arms absently looping around her neck and a tiny part of his mind wondered if kissing Hermione would truly be like this. More than anything else, Harry realized that something was passing back and forth between them, slipping into his mouth, down into his chest where it squeezed gently around his heart and lungs before it flowed back into Selene. After a few repetitions, the faux Hermione broke away and spat at the floor, glaring at Harry who raised an eyebrow. "That is not for you. You are exquisite." She smiled her most enchanting smile, the light of it illuminating her whole face. "No, that is because your magical core has been bound by a powerful light spell, since shortly after your birth. It is a wonder you can do magic at all."

"Is that why I do magic accidentally? In times of stress-"

"Your core lashes out against the binding. It has compromised it greatly, but it will take force to break." Selene grinned up at Harry looking for all the world like Hermione had just cost Slytherin a thousand points. "I would help you, if you will let me?"

"Help as in-" Harry broke off and swept his eyes over Hermione's naked body.

"It is my way. And freeing your core will allow me to complete the errand that brought me here."

"Okay. I must insist on business before pleasure, though." Harry picked up the Gringott's letter. "Is there a way I can respond to this? I'm not saying I believe Dumbledore is an evil bastard, but he certainly is a manipulative old man, so I want to find out what's going on before he can filter my information."

"Simply write a reply on the back of the parchment and place some of your blood on the Gringott's seal. If it is your desire, I can help transport you to Diagon Alley and back undetected."

"That would be most appreciated." Harry said, remembering how quickly the ministry had tracked him down the last time he left Privet Drive. "It might be good to have a witness, too. I don't know just how public you want to be." He mused, scribbling that he would be arriving the next day at ten in the morning to settle accounts.

Selene smiled a smile that would not be out of place in the dungeons of Hogwarts. "I believe I can think of someone appropriate." She said ominously as he stuck his index finger and dripped blood onto the seal, causing the letter to vanish with a quiet pop.

"And that's not going to bite me in the ass." Harry said sarcastically. "Not at all."

"If you want ass…" Selene said teasingly as she waved Hermione's at him.

"Hey, I don't want to jump your bones yet oh supernatural seductress."

"I need you coherent a bit longer." She grinned playfully. "Then I'll turn on the charm and have you eating out of my… hand."

"All right then. Why are you here?"

Selene grew pensive. "I knew your parents. They were important, not just to me, but to the Court as whole. I came to see… Well, once I unseal your core I'll know for certain one way or another, but I do so hope you're the one."

Harry snorted. "More fame for me, just great. So what is this Court you keep referring to?"

Selene seemed to be thinking about how much to tell him before coming to a decision. "If it turns out I'm right and you're the one, it will all be explained later. I can't bear to get both of our hopes up and it turns out I've read something pear shaped. But even if I have, just cracking the seal on your core will be a tremendous help."

"And just what does that entail?" Harry asked, musing on the lack of answers he was receiving.

"Oh you know. Some great sex with the body of your childhood friend, some tantric magic, and pop goes the binding. You should have greater ease of control of your magic, better learning abilities, and an overall boost in power."

"Didn't think it would be that easy to break." Harry said in surprise.

"It's not." Selene said, throwing up wards with a casual wave of her hand, followed by silencing and disinterest charms. "The seal is so powerful that breaking it would kill any tantric witch that attempted it. Luckily I'm more than human, but even so this is going to take a lot out of me, so to compensate, I'll be feeding on you at the same time."

"It sounds like there's a chance of death in this scenario." Harry said thoughtfully.

"There is. This requires razor edge timing, because I can't imagine that whoever sealed you isn't still monitoring you. So I have one chance to crack it wide enough that the magic in your core spills out to rapidly replenish the life force I'm taking from you, and pray to Eros that the seal doesn't start regenerating, cause that would suck royally."

Harry frowned in thought. "What if you attack a weak point where the seal is already breached and then pull the magic from the seal away from my core? Would that help?"

Selene considered this. "Yeah… yeah I think it will! It'll take longer to perform that way but it'll also mean a two pronged assault on the seal. Not only should that break it down faster but it should release more magic to make up for my drain!" She pounced on Harry, kissing him again. "Harry, you're a genius!"

"I wouldn't go that far, Hermione." He mumbled before remembering that, appearances notwithstanding, this was in fact not Hermione Granger.

"Don't like the pretty witches complimenting your wits?" Selene teased.

"I don't think I'm particularly witty." He mumbled darkly. "It takes me forever to learn the simplest magic and I'm more inclined to dive into problems than think through them."

Selene smiled as she placed two fingers on the floor and effortlessly traced a magic circle around the bed. "It'll get better, I promise." She said softly caressing his face before trailing her hands down to his shirt. "Are you ready?"

Harry swallowed nervously. "I've never… you know."

"Is she who you want?" Selene gestured to her borrowed body. "If you like I can be someone else for you."

"No." Harry swallowed hard as he lost himself in Hermione's brown eyes. "I always wanted you."

Selene didn't bother to correct Harry. Instead she waved her hand, turning off the lights and plunging the room into strips of moonlight that poured through the window as she reached for Harry's shirt. "We're in for a long night, lover." She whispered in the darkness as she began to slowly strip off Harry's old hand me down clothes and released the reins on her innate powers of seduction.

Harry absently nipped and suckled at the young succubus' neck as they tumbled back onto the bed and the spellwork circle flared to life around them. Selene's eyes glowed, not with the borrowed molten amber of Hermione's eyes, but a stunning violet that Harry would have assumed was their natural color, if he'd been in his right mind.

At the moment, though the last of the Potter line was too busy devouring Selene's mouth with his own to notice such details. As she straddled his hips, he slid his mouth down to bite hard on her neck, bruising the tender flesh with his teeth. Selene moaned appreciatively as she guided his erection between this body's virgin thighs and then hissed sharply as she impaled herself.

"'Mia? Did I hurt you?" Harry asked in a worried whisper, turning his lust glazed eyes to her face.

"The first time always does, Harry." Selene breathed, forcing herself to relax. She'd done the blushing virgin bit countless times, and the lapse just gave her time to worry through the more delicate portions of the spellwork. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"We'll go slowly then, until you're ready for more." Harry suited action to words and did his utmost to slowly pull back.

"That's not your choice, love." Selene whispered in Hermione's borrowed voice as she plunged downwards, quickly negating Harry's attempts to control the encounter. The pace she set was steady but not very hurried as her mouth alternated between dueling with Harry's and more extensive bits of spellwork. "Don't hold back anymore, Harry. I need you to let go, okay."

"But what about-"

"Don't think about that now, love." She commanded, quickening her tempo as she raised her magic to a crescendo. "Just let go!"

Harry shuddered with the release and Selene collapsed on top of him as the spell circle and wards flared brilliantly. Selene shivered bit and murmured nonsensical things in Harry's ear as he recovered. "Once more?" She whispered pleadingly as she felt his hardness solidify within her.

It turned out that "Once more." was not quite accurate.

Harry slowly came around, blearily greeting the rising sun. He was naked and alone he was disappointed to notice. He sat up with a yawn causing a piece of parchment to tumble towards the floor. Sadly the short notes flight was forcibly aborted by Harry's quidditch enhanced reflexes. Fumbling his glasses onto his face, he looked at the short missive in Hermione's delicate script.

_Good morning Harry,_

_I'm sorry I had to leave you alone when you woke but I needed to report my findings to the Court and get some sleep before we go to Gringott's today. The spell work, though exhausting, was very successful. The binding was severely decimated and there are no signs of anyone observing anything. As an added bonus I left the wards in place. They should last for about week and allow you to use magic in your room undetected. Yes, I know. I'm awesome. _

_We'll cut our trip as close as possible so no one has a chance to meddle, so I'll be fetching our third by 9:30 and I'll be there for you by 9:45. As for who that will be… that's a secret._

_Love you.  
Selene._

Harry blinked and swung his legs out of bed. He scrubbed at his eyes and reread the note twice. He had about three hours to kill before his life got really interesting.

_No, that's not tempting Fate._ He thought with some amusement as he got dressed. _Not at all._

Hermione Granger was not, by her nature, an early riser, so naturally she had to have her mother repeat the news she had shaken her awake with a couple of times.

"Mrs. McGonagall from your school is here to see you. She says she needs you to help your friend Harry with something."

The words 'McGonagall' and 'help Harry' cut through her sleep fogged brain and she rolled awkwardly from her bed and scrambled for her bathroom grabbing some clothes in one hand and her toothbrush in the other. "Be right down!"

In five minutes, Hermione had dressed, tamed her hair as best she could and performed her morning absolutions. Jamming her wand into her back pocket, she hastily yanked on her sneakers and pounded down the stairs. "Professor."

"Good morning, Miss Granger." Minerva McGonagall smiled as she rose from where she sat talking with the elder Grangers. "Mr. Potter has some business with Gringott's and I felt he could use a witness and a friend. Will you stand with him?"

"Um, of course." Hermione answered as a nagging little voice told her that this was not her Head of House. "Just let me run upstairs and get my wand."

McGonagall crossed the room and laid a hand on the young witch's cheek. "Don't dawdle. Grab your wand and come right back so we can go."

Hermione blinked as the intruder's words seemed to seep into her brain. "My mistake." She said distantly as she pulled her wand out of her pocket. "I have my wand, so we can go."

"Very good. Follow me please." Hermione once again felt like a passenger in her own body as she followed the elder witch out the door. "Ah, that went better than I had hoped. Off to see Harry then." She said in a manner quite unlike the mature transfiguration teacher as she grabbed the young Gryffindor by the arm. Hermione felt a buzzing sensation all over her skin before the world seemed to twist in on itself and she found herself standing in a small park. "You're free now."

Hermione felt the fog lift from her mind and she whipped her wand out and leveled it at the impersonator. "What are you?"

McGonagall sighed and snapped her fingers sharply. Hermione dropped to her knees gasping from the sudden jolt of pleasure that spread through her. "My name is Selene, I'm a succubus, and I'm a friend of Harry's." She scooped up the young witch's wand and offered it back to her handle first. "Now he really is heading to Gringott's today and he wanted a witness. I thought he could use a friend he could trust as well."

"Harry's crazy meter is filling ahead of schedule. This sort of thing usually doesn't start until at least the train ride." Hermione got gingerly to her feet hoping not to trigger another debilitating spasm of pleasure. "Why does Harry need someone who he can trust?" She asked reclaiming her wand.

"Someone is manipulating him. I have a theory who, but I'll keep that to myself, so as not to bias you one way or the other."

"Very well." Hermione said pocketing the wand and wondering just what Harry was doing with a succubus. "Is it safe to talk about this openly?"

"Is your skin still tingling like static is dancing over it?" The young witch nodded as they began to walk down Privet Drive. "Good. It's an alternate version of a disinterest spell, though I believe wizards call them Notice-Me-Not charms. This makes us, our actions, and conversations so unimportant that they don't even stick in the memory."

"That's good." Hermione said as her brow furrowed in thought. "Why are we going to Gringott's?"

"Well, Harry is going because Sirius has turned over control of House Black until such time as his name is cleared, and the goblins want to clear up some discrepancies, like the fact that the Potter's goblin approved will has not been executed yet. I expect Harry will probably ask for a full audit of his account, which will require a genealogy trace. You're going to stand as a witness, and emotional support. Me, I'm just the taxi, though I would like to take a look at Harry's family tree. I just know there's gonna be some good surprises. And here we are, number 4." Selene stepped up and rang the doorbell once. A moment later footsteps pounded down the stairs and the door was opened by a messy haired brunette with glasses.

"Good timing." Harry said. "I got the house all to myself for the moment. If you'll head up to my room I just need a second to whip up some better clothes."

"Whip up- Harry you can't-"

"Use magic outside of school. Normally, quite right Hermione. You ARE Hermione, right?" He asked leading the way up the stairs.

"Of course I am!" She replied indignantly. "Why would you even-" She cut herself off and wheeled on Selene. "You didn't."

"It wasn't personal." Selene shrugged, dismissively. "I'm a shapeshifter, so I'm meant to take other appearances. Too much time in the neutral state just means a lot of headaches for everyone."

"But still Harry, you can't use…" Hermione trailed off as Harry waved his wand and transfigured his cousin's hand me downs into some simple black jeans and a matching long sleeved shirt.

"Here in my room, for one week, I can." Harry said with a smile. "Selene here warded my room."

"Why?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Why what?"

"Why did a succubus ward your room, Harry?" Hermione asked looking from one to the other.

"Just for some spellwork." Harry said quickly.

"Nothing important." Selene said with equal haste.

"You're a dreadful liar, Harry." Hermione fixed him with a stare. "Now as it stands we've barely been out of school for 24 hours and your life is already going to hell, and now I'm dragged along for the ride. I think I have earned the right to ask some questions."

"Er, I suppose that's true, but I'm supposed to be at Gringott's in," He paused to look at his watch. "less than ten minutes, and they'll be quite cross if I'm late."

"Then you better talk fast." She smirked.

"You're impossible, you know that?" He retorted.

"I'm not the one on a time table, now am I?" She replied.

"Oh for Eros sake." Selene muttered. "Harry's magical core was bound as an infant, and I helped him break part of that binding. Now if that's not good enough for you, we'll have to continue this later. For now we have to go."

"We'll have some time to kill in Diagon." Harry said. "At the very least I'll need to see Mr. Olivander for another wand."

"I expect answers, Harry James Potter," Hermione said in her no nonsense kind of way. "and I intend to get them one way or another."

Selene had shifted her appearance into that of a nondescript brunette as she grabbed the young students by the arm. "Enough. We have to go now." The world twisted again and they found themselves in a shadowed alley gazing at the front of the wizard bank, Gringott's.

"Nice quiet entry. Thank you Selene." Harry said checking the alley quickly before striding up the stairs with Hermione and Selene at his heels.

"Welcome back to Gringott's, Mr. Potter." Griphook smiled. "Ragnok is waiting for you, and appreciates your punctuality. Follow me, please." Turning on his heel, the small goblin led the way to an ornate set of double doors. With a slight nod to Harry, he pushed open the doors, gesturing the others inside before closing them behind him.

"Harry Potter!" A booming voice called from the desk in the center of the room. "And right on schedule. I am Ragnok, head goblin of Gringott's. Please, have a seat."

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances and then moved to the two plush seats in front of the desk. "Thank you sir. I didn't expect the head of Gringott's would get involved for a simple matter like this."

"Mr. Potter, you've always struck us as an interesting wizard, and we keep an ear to the ground for matters that concern you. So when Sirius Black-"

"Excuse me," Hermione said in a small voice. "I know that Sirius Black is innocent of all charges, but is it safe to be discussing it so openly?"

"Hermione Granger, first generation witch, correct?" Ragnok's voice held a note of amusement at her wizarding status. Hermione looked shocked, and nodded mutely. "Secrets have more value than gold, and we appreciate things of value. I won't lie and say that Gringott's security is absolute, but it is close, and the secrets shared here will stay here." Ragnok did not boast this. It was a simple statement of fact.

"So, Sirius named me Head of House Black in Absentia, correct?" Harry raised an eyebrow as Ragnok nodded. "What exactly does that mean?"

"As an acting Head of House you may make decisions regarding family members status and stipends that would be binding so long as you are Head of House. When Sirius retakes control of House Black, he may maintain or reverse any of your policies. Of course, what I suspect will be most important to you, so long as you have Head of House status, regardless of age you are considered an adult in the eyes of the wizarding world."

"That's… wonderful." Harry said in awe.

"Of course, to make this official, we should probably check your heritage, to make sure to get it all right the first time. We can do yours as well, Ms. Granger. Free of charge today." Ragnok grinned with a mouth full of sharp teeth.

"But, I'm a first generation witch, a muggleborn. No one's ever had magic in my family before."

"Be that as it may, family trees have many branches and magic sneaks into the oddest places." Ragnok replied. "Besides, as much time as you spend with Harry, do you really think you're immune to magical surprises?"

"Two full goblin Heritage spells, free of charge?" Selene spoke from the wall where she stood. "What's the catch?"

"There are certain wagers in place here among the goblins concerning Mr. Potter and those around him. I've covered the most likely contingencies and a few more radical ones." Ragnok said.

"So winning those bets would likely win you more money than the Heritage spells would cost." Harry said. "Do I even want to know what kind of wagers you're backing?"

"I'll let you know when it's all said and done. Are you interested?"

"Sure." Harry rolled his eyes a little. "Let's give Fate a bit more chance to take a shot at me."

"Excellent!" Ragnok made a gesture and spoke to the room. "I'll need Pastseer in my office. I've got two full runs and I need the best."

"I'll be there shortly, sir." A disembodied voice seemed to rumble from the walls.

"Now then Harry, there's the matter of your parents will. Much to our shame, it seems that someone was meddling in goblin affairs, and the magically binding will that was registered with Gringott's got buried. If it hadn't been for our difficulties in contacting you, we wouldn't have thought to look any deeper, which I think was the intended idea."

"So what does that mean?"

"Your parents will was quite clear, Harry, including a list of who was to be awarded custody in the event of their demise. Your guardian was to be granted an annual stipend from the Potter family vault and you were to come into your majority on your eleventh birthday, the year you'd have entered Hogwarts. If at that time the other endowments had not been delivered, you would be tasked with the role of executor to carry out the final portions. This is, of course, the more informal version of a proper will reading but I suspect you have much to do and precious little time to do it."

"I expect so." Harry said as the door opened and a female goblin strode in carrying two large rolls of parchment and a pair of sharp ritual knives.

"I see why you called for me." She smiled a toothy smile. "Time to settle all those nasty bets, then?"

"Yes, Pastseer, time at last." Ragnok replied. "Pastseer is the head of our magical heritage department and the absolute best at the heritage ritual."

"I'm also completely impartial as far as all the betting goes." Pastseer beckoned Harry and Hermione over near the huge blazing fire on the far side of the office. "That's not to say I don't profit, though. Mother didn't buy me a fool's education."

"And just how do you profit?" Harry asked as the large pieces of parchment were spread before each of them.

"I get one percent of everything," Pastseer said with a grin. "and goblins don't believe in small bets."

"Now that's a racket." Hermione said with some admiration.

"So then, who's first?"

"Um, what exactly would we have to do?" Harry asked as he peered at the supplies Pastseer held.

"Easy as pie, really. I'll just have to slice the palm of your wand hand, bleed you onto the parchment a bit, invoke a bit of magic and then tuck it into the fire. Has to bake a little, you see. So now that you know, I ask again… Who's first?"

The two teenagers looked at each other nervously, then burst out laughing. "We're Gryffindor's right? We're supposed to be stupidly brave. I'll go first." Hermione said, offering her right hand.

"I think your more Slytherin myself." Selene called from her post by the large double doors.

"And I think you're a barmy old- ouch!" Hermione's retort was curtailed as Pastseer took advantage of her distraction to carve a deep gash into her palm.

"It made you look." Selene said mildly.

"You got to breathe child." The heritage specialist said soothingly as she pried Hermione's hand open allowing the blood to pool quickly in the center of the sheet. "The knives are spelled to cut wide and deep, but also to heal the wounds quickly. Just let me get a wee bit more."

"Relax 'Mione." Harry said, stroking her hair calmingly. "It's just a bit of blood."

"A rather large bit, wouldn't you say?" The young witch paled, though from the fear or the blood loss was hard to say.

"Oh come on. You remember Fluffly, right?" Harry said. "You'd have lost more than that saying 'Hello', right?"

"Oh yes… He should have been my first clue that Hagrid was eccentric."

"Funny, because your tone of voice says you're thinking crazy." Harry threw back as Pastseer twisted his classmate's wrist so she sat bloody palm up.

"Good girl, lass. You did as well as any pureblood would have." She murmured, pressing the flat of the blade against the gash it had opened. Hermione gasped as the wound began to knit itself shut, while the heritage expert carefully tilted the parchment in all directions, causing the young witch's blood to spread over it in a single crimson sheet as she chanted and traced some obscure gestures over the paper. "Ah, good. How's your hand, dear?"

Hermione lifted the blade away to see that aside from a wide white scar, no trace remained. "It's mostly healed, except for the scar."

"The scar will stay with you for the rest of your days." Pastseer said regretfully as she slid the roll of bloody parchment into the fire. "Such is the nature of wounds inflicted by dark magic."

"Dark magic?" Harry asked offering his hand to the knife wielding goblin.

"Are you surprised, young Potter?" Ragnok asked, with a dangerous glint in his eye.

Harry shrugged dismissively. "I got hit by my first dark spell when I was fifteen months old. And I've seen all kinds of magic do damage since I entered the magical world. So why is this dark magic?"

"Most forms of blood magic are classed by wizards as dark magic." Pastseer sneered as she bled Harry onto his parchment. "Including heritage spells."

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "And yet it doesn't stop people from paying for them."

"Aye, it doesn't." Ragnok said. "What you must always remember is that magic is never light or dark, or good or evil."

"'There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it.'" Harry quoted from memory as Pastseer rolled his wrist and pressed the flat against his palm.

"An odd quote." Ragnok mused as Pastseer chanted over the blood soaked parchment.

"I heard it from the disembodied dark lord when we met my first year." Harry whispered thoughtfully.

"And do you agree with it?" Selene asked.

"That magic is only power and intent?" Harry mused thoughtfully. "I honestly hadn't thought about it until now."

"So think about it now." She said casually. "You too, Hermione."

Hermione frowned in thought. "There is no good and evil…" She repeated. "But there is good and evil. Harry's parents were killed by evil."

"Ah yes, but the question is… evil what?" Pastseer removed Hermione's parchment from the fire and replaced it with Harry's.

"Evil what?" Harry repeated dully, turning Voldemort's words over in his head.

"Evil… magic?" Hermione put forth. "I mean, the Killing Curse is one of the darkest spells known to wizards."

"Would it surprise you to know that the original use of the Avada Kedavra spell was for euthanasia?" Selene spoke again without moving from her spot by the door. "It was meant as a quick painless death for familiars or wizards who were beyond medical help."

"So… it's not evil magic." Harry mused. "It was warped by evil intent."

Hermione looked thoughtfully into space. "Are you telling me that the unforgiveable killing curse… was a light spell?"

"Hardly." Selene said. "The unforgiveable curses are the darkest of dark magic. But they started with very good intentions. The killing curse was intended to bring a peaceful end. The imperius was meant to move muscles that could not move on their own. And the cruciatus curse was intended for use to shock the heart when it stopped."

"Dark magic… with good intention? It's hard to wrap my mind around." The brunette witch mulled that in silence.

Harry removed the ritual dagger form the newly healed wound and stroked his chin. "I wonder what that would be alike, learning and gaining power for power's sake."

Hermione worried at her lip. "Maybe… maybe we ought to find out."

Harry arched an eyebrow. "This is a serious step with no real room for miscommunication. What exactly are you suggesting?"

"I obviously don't think we should dive into the deep end, but Harry, dangerous things follow you. Those close to you…" She trailed off, obviously thinking of her petrification two years prior. "Perhaps, it would not be remiss to acquire power."

"Again, Hermione, we can't afford for there to be any vagueness here. Are you suggesting we explore the dark arts?"

Hermione looked up, anguish twisting her features as she spoke a single word that twisted her entire worldview. "Yes."

Harry stared in shock. He'd known on some level that the brunette witch had grown beyond the almost obsessive devotion to the rules she had shown in her first year, but to hear her admit to something like this boggled his mind. "Are you sure, 'Mia? This isn't skipping classes, or brewing polyjuice potion, or something relatively minor. This could have serious repercussions."

"Or it could save our lives." She responded shakily. "And besides, it's not like I'm advocating just studying dark arts. I imagine there are neutral arts to be learned as well. I doubt either of us will go out slaughtering muggles under the light of the full moon just from learning a few spells."

Pastseer smiled at the youths rationalizations as she extracted the two scrolls and unrolled them. "The first step to gaining wisdom is accepting all knowledge, regardless of its source."

"But all knowledge must be taken with a bit of skepticism." Selene said conjuring a table and chairs for the goblins to stand on. "Just because it's written doesn't mean that it's true."

"Gilderoy Lockheart." Harry said with a nod as Hermione turned as pink as her missing blood would allow. "And just because people believe it doesn't mean that it's true."

"Sirius Black and the Potters." Hermione mused. "It almost makes me wonder if the Dark Lord is everything people say he is." She muttered thoughtfully as she rolled out her parchment before her.

Harry did the same. "Well, from my last two encounters I can personally say that he is ruthless, ambitious, unforgiving, and dangerously brilliant. That diary was no ordinary bit of spell work."

Selene moved to stand between the two young wizards as Pastseer clambered up beside Harry and Ragnok took a spot on the other side of Hermione. Together they peered over the parchments looking from one to another as they did so.

"Harry, take a look here." Hermione said tracing her way up the Evans side of the family tree. "It looks like you're actually related to Sirius by blood."

"Looks like the Evan's girl was a distant relation, a Black cousin many times removed." Pastseer mused. Harry however was skimming his eyes over Hermione's parchment.

"I'll be a monkey's uncle." He whistled pointing to two familiar names. "You're related to two Hogwarts founders."

The bushy haired witch traced her fingers over the names of Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw. "That makes the hat's comments make so much more sense." Harry arched an eyebrow. "I never told anyone this but the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin first, and then Ravenclaw. I wanted to break out of my shell being in a new world where no one knew about the know-it-all bookworm who couldn't manage her hair. It was a brave new world and I wanted to be a brave new me."

"So the hat stuck you in the brave new house of Gryffindor." Harry smirked. "Don't worry too much, the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin too. If Malfoy hadn't been such a prat, I might have gone for it, but I wanted to be as far from him as I could get."

"So you ended up in the Lion's den." Hermione nodded in understanding. "The thing is the hat had said when it offered me the Snake and the Raven, 'You'll be coming home.' Seeing as I have a very meager amount of Slytherin and Ravenclaw blood in my veins, I can understand why."

"You knew, Ragnok." Harry said letting his eyes dance over his own parchment. "You seemed to find great humor in the fact that Hermione is a first generation witch, a muggleborn."

"Despite what you wizards think, there really is no such thing. Magic comes from somewhere and the gift can only be passed on through blood. You know of squibs of course?" Both nodded. "Just because someone is a squib doesn't mean that power of magic is not in their blood. Your mother Lily had enough power to learn magic, but her sister has the potential as well, as will any children she has."

"My aunt is a muggle." Harry said. "I can't imagine her having magic."

"That doesn't change the fact that blood in her veins, the blood of her parents, and grandparents, and ancestors has magic. And despite what she'd like to think, her blood always will."

Hermione had stopped and touched Harry's parchment. "Harry, we're related!" She giggled and pointed at a branch of his tree. "You're mum is related to Slytherin and Gryffindor."

Ragnok perked up at this. "He's related to the male founders, on his mother's side?" The elder goblin dove into his pocket and produced a leather bound notebook. "Ah, that's a healthy amount of gold for me." He said flipping through the pages. "Pastseer, check the father's side would you?"

The heritage goblin produced a pair of glasses and peered at the side of parchment closest to her. "Hah! The Potter clan comes from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. That means, Harry, that not only are you considered heir to the four founders and their vaults, you're also considered Lord Hogwarts. Hermione is considered Lady Hogwarts-Slytherin-Ravenclaw."

"That means that when it comes to the castle, you Harry have full power. Hermione however has considerable power as well, especially when it comes to her family's territory." Selene mused as her hands danced merrily over the parchment and she whispered names under her breath. "Longbottom, Lovegood, Parkinson, Nott, Greengrass, none of these are- Ah. Your mum's side. I should have guessed."

"Fortunesca Devareux?" Harry looked up at the succubus. "Is there a reason she's of interest?"

"Magically she's little more than a footnote, an average witch who never really excelled at anything. But to those of us who study the arts, Lady Devareux is considered the first tantric witch and founder of the erotic magical arts." Selene smiled serenely. "And as I'd hoped her magic flows in your veins."

"So are you richer than when we entered, Ragnok?" Harry asked as the head goblin shifted his focus from his book, which he suspected held the goblins wagers, to the proof sitting before them on the parchment.

"Considerably so, master Potter." Ragnok grinned savagely as he pored over the scrolls. "Though there is one wager, something of a joke."

"Dare I ask?" Hermione asked as he examined her parchment with feverish intensity.

"The odds are so astronomically high that it's almost a guaranteed loss." Ragnok said, peering frantically from name to name. "But if I'm right, this one insane wager would win me more than all of my others combined." He stopped, sucking in a breath as he peered at a name at the top of the tapestry. The other's looked too and were dumbfounded by what they saw.

There, sitting alone at the top of Hermione's family tree was a name well known to wizards and muggles alike.

Morgana le Fay.

**Authors Notes: This is something I thought of in an attempt at a hybrid Super!Harry and a Harem!Harry. There's a world that exists alongside the Muggle and Wizarding and James and Lily were an important part of that world. **


	2. Weasley's & Potions

Weasley's & Potions  
By Archangel N. Bloodraven

It was well past curfew but even with the threat of Sirius Black and the dementors of Azkaban, not all students were in their beds.

"Gotta admit," Ron said nodding towards his two slumbering friends. "They look good together."

"Why do you tag along with them, Ron?" Ginny asked. "You know that you're really just a third wheel."

"Maybe. But that was enough to save your life." Ron shrugged. "Those two have the drive, you know? Even Harry has some clue of what he's doing with his life, and he's been raised as far from magic as you can get."

"So does little ickle Ron have a plan?" Fred said softly as the twins joined the impromptu Weasley family gathering."

Ron dug in his pockets and pulled out a vial of pale blue liquid. "I think… we ought to give them a little nudge."

"That will be hilarious." Ginny couldn't help but grin. "Mom hasn't said as much but she's hoping that maybe Harry's role of gallant knight might be parlayed into something a little more personal. Never mind that _I _might not want that."

"I know what you mean." Ron nodded towards the couch. "Mom has come flat out and said she thinks that Hermione would be good for me. I don't think we could ever work as a couple. Maybe a Triad with Harry as a buffer, but never just a couple."

"You two fight so much it's ridiculous." George had spontaneously appeared with the group, presumably with his twin but making assumptions with those two was never a good idea. "And why wouldn't our little princess want a dashing wizard doting on her?"

"I'm not sure I want Harry." She shrugged. "Hell, I'm not entirely sure I want a wizard at all."

Fred leaned against a table with an arched eyebrow. "And just what do you want, dear sister of mine?"

Ginny took a deep breath as she blushed to the tips of her ears. "There was a really cute little Slytherin firstie, Astoria Greengrass." She screwed her eyes shut and waited for the explosion.

"Greengrass, Greengrass. I've heard… Daphne Greengrass, that's it. She's a nice enough girl, all around." Ron said thoughtfully. "If I can't get Neville or Hermione for Herbology help, Daphne is just as good."

Ginny stared in surprise. "So you don't mind that she's-"

"A Slytherin? Heck no. Crabbe is wicked good at charms and fast as hell. He probably has a future as a duelist." Ron began counting off his classmates on his fingers. "Blaise Zabini is good for transfiguration. Pansy Parkinson is a potions ace, and easy on the eyes. Millicent Bullstrode is the go to for creature care. I've nothing against Slytherins if they bring something of value to the table. Malfoy however just brings his own inflated ego and his family name. If you want to go after Astoria, well best of luck to you. If need be we'll ask mum for a little help." He waggled the vial in his hand.

Percy pursed his lips in dismay. "You do realize that you are in possession of a class three restricted potion, correct? As head boy I ought to march you straight to Professor McGonagall-"

"Oh come now Percy. You can't very well take the moral high ground on this." George smirked. "Especially after Penelope."

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about." Percy stammered slightly.

"So a Ravenclaw prefect who would only give you the time of day as a matter of general politeness suddenly finds you interesting enough to talk to, despite your seemingly inordinate lack of common ground?" Ron adopted a flat stare that was a combination of Harry, Hermione, and McGonagall, as he'd seen them enough to mimic them flawlessly.

"I would never-" Percy broke off as he met Ron's flat stare. "A-all right. I did slip a little something mother sent me into her goblet. But it was just once! Just to put me on her radar, so to speak."

"Doesn't it feel good not to lie to family?" Ginny grinned as she passed Ron a glass vial filled with curly brown hairs. "You'll need to key whatever you're doing to one of them, so there's some essence of Granger, for Harry."

"Thanks sis. No offense intended but are you sure this is Hermione's? We learned the hard way about dumping hairs in potions on good faith."

"So it's true?" Fred said. "You lot actually made polyjuice potion?"

"Mostly Hermione's work." Ron acknowledged with a nod. "We thought it was the best way to question someone who likely knew more about Slytherin's Heir."

"She is bloody brilliant." George said. "Too bad she's so uptight."

"There are potions for that." Fred replied. "But right now Ron's got the right of it. These are the maiden's hairs?"

"I stopped in to ask her about a sleep charm you can put on objects. She was yanking a hairbrush through her hair."

"And you're sure it was her brush?" Percy asked, resigning himself to the fact that he would have to be his sibling's keeper in this mad endeavor.

"Definitely. It was definitely muggle as no self-respecting pureblood witch would ever use a brush without a built in vanishing charm or leave so much of their essence intact for spellwork." Ginny said. "I nicked those after Lavender asked if anyone had seen her nightgown."

"Lavender is another nice girl, if you don't mind anything more than a physical fling." Ron rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Thinking on your future little brother?" George ruffled Ron's hair playfully.

"With this manner of mischief? How can I not?" Ron grinned pocketing the potion and vial of hair.

"So what are you gonna do first?" Ginny asked.

"I'll add the hair to the potion and then slip it into Harry's pumpkin juice. He ought to be thinking of Hermione nonstop for a week or so." Ron grinned.

Percy frowned. "Just make sure you keep us up to date on what everyone's doing. I'd hate to have them end up in the infirmary because the twins decided to pull a prank and it interacted badly with Ron's potion."

"Course I will, Percy." Ron smirked as the twins set about transfiguring the couch into a double bed to make the unsuspecting victims more comfortable. "It's for the greater good, after all." He tossed off a favorite quote of his mother's as he ascended the stairs.

**AN: I've seen loads of fics where the Weasley family are using potions for their own nefarious purposes and I thought it might be amusing to see the cliché turned on its ear a bit. Of course they're still manipulating people in a very much frowned on way, so it's in their own best interest not to get caught, but it's not 'OMG! Mollyz brewing da love potion for her kids!'**


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